The Wal-Mart Sustainability Index

Sustainability Rating of Consumer Products

The Impact on St. Louis Business

Is your business ready?

Friday, February 26 – 7:30 am to 9:00 am

St. Louis RCGA Regional Collaborative Center

One Metropolitan Square – Suite 1300

St. Louis, MO 63102

In many respects, the private sector is accomplishing more than governments in driving a global transition to an economy less reliant on carbon.  Many global companies are beginning to require their supply chains to be more energy efficient; lessen their reliance on fossil fuels; conserve water; and produce less waste.  These efforts are causing many companies to alter their business model—integrating sustainable business practices into their company operations to adapt to these changing market conditions.  At the forefront of this change is Wal-Mart.

A panel of sustainability experts will present an overview of Wal-Mart’s efforts to develop a “Sustainability Index.” This index is a first step towards providing consumers with the ability to comparison shop based on, among other things, the amount of carbon used to deliver a product to a Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club store. The panel will discuss the reasons behind Wal-Mart’s efforts and how the index and sustainability labels will be developed.

The panel will also discuss other key initiatives and trends that are driving corporate sustainability programs including: (1) growing interest with mainstream investors; (2) the recent Copenhagen Accord;  (3) corporate disclosure obligations; and, (4) marketing opportunities that advance the sale of products/services and enhance a company’s public image.  Finally, a case study of AT&T’s sustainability initiatives will be discussed.  The case study will look at the reasons behind these efforts; the ways in which sustainability is being integrated inside the company; and, the opportunities the company sees in a low carbon economy.

PANEL:

John W. Traeger (Moderator): Gallop, Johnson & Neuman, General Counsel and head of the Environmental and Green Business Practice areas; Chair of Sustainable St. Louis’ Board of Directors.  www.gjn.com and  www.sustainstl.org

Tony Calandro (Panelist): Vox Global, Senior Vice President and Partner. Tony Calandro specializes in sustainability and has worked with AT&T over the past three years to help integrate sustainability into the company’s  operations and supply chain.  Prior to joining Vox, he was a co-chair of Fleishman-Hillard’s Corporate Social Responsibility Specialty Group. www.voxglobal.com

Eric Olson (Panelist): Business For Social Responsibility, Senior Vice President of Advisory Services. Leveraging more than 20 years in the consulting field, Eric leads BSR’s global Advisory Service practice to deliver solid CSR strategies and programs that boost the bottom line for companies while benefiting the world. www.bsr.org

This is a free event, and please RSVP Michele Kingsley at (314) 615-6094 or MAKingsley@gjn.com

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Tags: coporate sustainability, RCGA

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